Paid for item not in stock + delayed refund and poor communication

I ordered a dining table from Essops Home and waited over 2 weeks for delivery, only to find out (after following up myself) that the item was not even in stock. This was never communicated to me upfront.

I then requested a refund, which has also been unnecessarily delayed. I have had to repeatedly follow up via WhatsApp and they confirmed that I would be refunded in 7 to 10 working days.

Only after continued chasing and following up because the trust is gone, did I finally receive confirmation that the refund was processed — on what should have already been the final day of the promised turnaround time.

This entire experience has been extremely frustrating and unprofessional:

* Selling stock that is not available * No proactive communication * Delayed refund process * Poor customer service throughout

I am still waiting for the funds to reflect and expect this to be resolved urgently.

I would not recommend purchasing from Essops Home based on this experience.